Judgment Day
by linagabriev
Summary: A seemingly harmless letter brings the gang back together. When they find that love is the final test can the Slayers succeed? L/G, A/Z, Oneshot


**Judgment Day**

Disclaimer: I do not own the Judgment Gate or Morgan, which I borrowed from AH! My Goddess and I do not own the Slayers Cast. I also do not own Tokyo or Tokyo Tower. I just got the idea from the Slayers world, since I believe it looks like Japan.

IMPORTANT: This is not a Terminator Parody. Title rights can go to the creators of those movies.

* * *

Judgement Day

* * *

"Xelloss?" Zelas called. A cloud of smoke rose above her, as she continued to smoke on her cigar. She quieted herself, until Xelloss arrived, to hear the agonized screams of one of her minions torturing a poor girl in one of the prisons, who was quite truthfully at the wrong place at the wrong time. After a moment, she started to grow impatient at her general for taking so long. 

"Yes mistress?" Xelloss said, materializing into the room, kneeling before his master.

"Where were you?" Zelas asked, her eyes narrowing at her general priest. It had been such a beautiful day too. First she had been able to witness a lynching this morning and then this evening she just simply sat around bored out of her mind until she finally decided to blow up a few villages.

"Sorry, mistress but it still takes quite a long time to get from the "New World" to Wolf Pack Island, my liege," Xelloss apologized.

"DON'T MAKE EXCUSES!" Zelas shouted at him, eyes flashing dangerously.

Calming herself, she continued, "Lina Inverse and her little group of tagalongs are beginning to become a nuisance. Kill them," Zelas ordered, "She is too much of a threat for us to accept her joining us. We would not want her to be a more powerful Mazoku then us, now would we? As for the rest of them, they are no use to us. I want you to bring them all together again before you kill them. Kill them in front of each other for dramatic effect so that you can tell me about it when you return. You are dismissed now."

"Of course mistress. Right away," Xelloss replied. Bowing, he then dematerialized and left the room.

Really though, she was afraid of them. Lina had killed Shabranigdo, their master, on her very first adventure with her little motley group. It did not matter that she only destroyed a piece of Shabranigdo, or the fact that she needed to use the Giga Slave in order to defeat him. Then, of course, she had destroyed the most powerful of all of them, Phibrizzo. Her, Zelas, being the weakest out of the Mazoku Lords, knew it was only a matter of time before Lina Inverse and her group of misfits set their sights on her. Hell, even Dolphin was stronger then her. If there was one Mazoku Lord she hated the most, it would be Dolphin, not Phibrizzo. Not even after he took her general priest. His punishment was much worse then even what Shabranigdo could have done to him. Dolphin though, oh, she was always the favorite. Much prettier and stronger then Zelas would ever be. It was out of that sheer jealously that made Zelas drive Dolphin to insanity, after all. It wasn't until moments later, after Xelloss departed, that she realized he was gone.

* * *

"Miss Lina Inverse?" a messenger asked. 

"Wfmat?" Lina asked, her mouth full of food, "Gourry give that back!"

"Well (gulp) you weren't (slurp) paying atten (scarf) tion so I thought (munch) that you (gulp) didn't want it," Gourry told her.

"Well...you see, umm, I was asked to give you this," the messenger told her, trying to interrupt.

"Well I did want it! So I'll just take this, this, and ohhhh this too!" Lina said happily as she ate the last of Gourry's food.

"Wah! I didn't take that much Lina!" Gourry whined, mourning over his food.

"Now as for dessert! Hmm we'll take everything from here to," Lina told the waitress as she turned the next page of the menu, "to here, EACH!" The waitress face-faulted once she realized they were STILL hungry.

"EXCUSE ME!" the messenger yelled, getting tired about being ignored.

"What! Jeez, people these days have no patience," Lina muttered, shaking her head and turned back to the waitress, "And make it snappy! I can't wait to try that apple strudel."

"Sorry miss, but I was asked to give this to Miss Lina Inverse and Mr. Gourry Gabriev," the messenger said, bowing and then scurried away from the frightfully scary woman.

"Gods not another letter! You'd think after all these years someone would make a new level of communication that wasn't so slow or...dangerous," Lina said, shivering as she thought about the letter from her sister, while opening the letter.

"Eh? This is it?" Lina said, turning the letter around to see if there was anything else.

"What does it say Lina?" Gourry asked.

"On front it just lists an address, our names, and a date to be there. That's all. On the back, it talks about some kind of reward, but the handwriting is too sloppy. I can't seem to make it out." Lina said, as she tried to figure out what the person had written.

"Let me see, Lina. I don't have the best handwriting in the world either. I'm actually the only one who can read it." Gourry said, taking the paper from Lina, reading it out loud.

"Wow you write and read, I'm truly surprised Gourry," Lina teased.

"Ms. Lina Inverse, I ask for your help in translating a book I have found. I'm guessing that you're travels have allowed you to be able to interpret many languages. Not being an adventurer myself, I am not fluent in anything but the vernacular, I am ashamed to say. Moreover, I ask for you help. The book I need translated is the 'Rak Shau' as I am sure you have heard of and would not pass up the chance to read it. As an extra incentive, I will pay you and your associate 50,000 gold coins. I have enclosed the time of meeting, as well as the address. Good day." Gourry said, finishing the letter.

"That's it. No signature?" Lina asked.

"Not unless he used invisible ink. Hey Lina, why would someone create invisible ink? If they don't want someone to see it, why write it down?" Gourry asked, confused. "Eh? Lina?" he said, trying to get her attention.

"What? Oh yeah right. Kind of zoned out for a second," Lina told him.

"So, are we going to go?" Gourry asked.

"Of course. I'm not big on Shamanist and White magic spell books, but in the New World it's probably all we can hope for. All the better if it holds new spells that not even Zel has seen" Lina answered, greedily. "Hey! What do you think you're doing! That's mine!" she yelled, trying to snatch her food back from him fruitlessly, due to the fact that he had just stuffed it in his mouth.

Gourry, learning from his recent experience, finished his desert before taking Lina's. However, unfortunately for him he had not learned the simple fact that you should never mess with someone who's called the Dragon Spooker. A scent of charred jellyfish-brains was in the air as a very pissed off sorceress left in a huff.

For the most part, the rest of the night went on the same.

* * *

Meanwhile back in Seyrunn, Amelia and Zelgadis were looking through the dusty volumes of the Seyrunn library. 

Zelgadis sighed, wondering how to break this to Amelia, "Amelia? I'm going to go set sail back for the New World. I don't think that we're going to find any cure here."

"But Mr. Zelgadis, you need perseverance and faith if you want to truly succeed to your goal,"Amelia said, starting her speech, and then added sadly, "Plus you weren't planning on leaving so soon, right?" It had been only a week since he came back to Seyrunn to keep his promise, but there was no guarantee he would come back the next time or the next after that, for that matter.

"Princess Amelia, and um..." a messenger said, bowing and then turned to the chimera with disgust, "and Master Greywords, I was asked to give you this." Handing Amelia the letter, he shot another disgusted look at Zelgadis, repulsed by the fact that a monster like him would dare to be in the company of the princess, and he too scurried away.

"What does it say?" Zelgadis asked, muttering and glaring after the messenger.

"It only says: to Zelgadis Greywords and Princess Amelia. Then there's CURE in huge letters that takes up the rest of the page," Amelia stated, sweatdropping and turned the paper onto it's back," and then on the back it has an address and a date to be there. Do you think it might be a possible cure Mr. Zelgadis or just some hoax?"

"As suspicious and weird as it sounds, I think I'll check it out. I'm running out of options here," Zelgadis said, indicating the mountain of books on the shelf, which had been checked thorough twenty times thus far.

"Well then I guess I'll go with you," Amelia chirped happily.

"What?" Zelgadis said, face-falling on the table, cracking it in two. The bookshelves around them shook violently.

"Well it was a note to "Zelgadis Greywords AND Princess Amelia. So it's only natural I should go too!" Amelia said, smiling.

"What have I gotten myself into?" Zel groaned. A book fell from the shelf, promptly hitting him on the head from the impact of his fall. Soon, the book was followed by the rest of the bookshelf, which landed on top of the poor chimera.

* * *

"The Judgment Gate, created by the Gods was a way to test young lovers, that came from two different worlds. And sometimes but very rarely, for two lovers of different species such as a dragon and a mazoku, or mazoku and human, or elf and well you get the idea. However, the gods had created it so that peace would not be made in the world or worlds. For it was never their intention for two different beings to fall in love. So out of all the people who have tried their luck against the Judgment Gate, none have passed," the storyteller told the children, sadness filling her voice. 

"How hard can it be Miss Morgan?" one of the kids asked confusedly. She then got up, and walked through a nearby picket fence to prove her point. "See I'm walking through the gate to the other side. Wow that was soooo exciting," she told everyone sarcastically. A few snickers were heard throughout the audience.

"If the two lovers have the slightest bit of doubt or deception in their hearts, they will be separated for all eternity," Morgan replies, her eyes full of pain.

"Oh jeez, it's late, Bye Miss Morgan!" one of the boys yelled as he ran home before his curfew ended. Soon all the kids had left except two who were really only kids at heart.

"Interesting story you told there. It wouldn't have, oh lets say, happened to you once?" Lina asked, then added with her women's intuition coming into play, "It was true wasn't it?"

"If you're looking for a fictional story, you've got the wrong woman. It's because of people like you I tend to tell the story to children. One it might happen to them and Two they wouldn't over analyze it, and instead probably say 'OH AWESOME!' if you actually told them it was true." Morgan told her. These two very different woman locked eyes, Morgan's sad green eyes staring into Lina's lively red ones. Morgan, much more taller and developed then Lina, had straight jet-black hair with bangs, much like Syphiel's. This stunningly beautiful storyteller clashed greatly, with the clothes she was wearing, which were nothing more then peasant clothes. Looking at this woman, Lina found that no one that she had ever met before, quite startled her as much as Morgan. Morgan, stared at her, fully naked in the sense that she held no walls as Lina did, fully showing whatever feelings she held, in the depths of her emerald green eyes.

"Oh? And what reason have you given me to believe you're little tale?" Lina inquired.

"None at all, nor do I care if you believe me. But ask yourself this...Do you really believe me to be human?" Morgan asked Lina.

"A monster?" Lina said, crouching in defensive position, her eyes narrowing.

Morgan answered her, shaking her head, "No, no. Way off the mark there. In any case I don't think I'm the one you should be afraid of."

"I'm not afraid of anything. Ahh!" Lina screamed, as Xelloss materialized in front of her.

"Well hello Lina," Xelloss greeted, leaning in closer.

"Wha, what? WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE!" Lina yelled back at him, while Gourry just stared at the pair confused.

"Eh? Nice to see you too Lina."

* * *

"We should be there in no time Mr. Zelgadis!" Amelia told him, "This is the fastest ship Seyrunn has!" 

"Does Prince Philonel know that you took it?" Zelgadis asked her. He was backed away more than he would normally be when talking to her. Mostly because the last two ships he was on with Amelia, he ended up being the anchor and the other time, forced to listen to Lina and Gourry complaints of being hungry.

"Umm well..." Amelia said, guiltily.

Phil is definitely not going to like this. This would be the second time we have stole a ship from him in the past year. Zelgadis thought sighing. If the cure was actually legit, the last thing he needed was Phil killing them for stealing their very best trading ship, when he got back. He would still be a purplish-blue color, but this time it would be a lot more painful. Sighing again, he continued to drink his coffee. She's turning more into Lina by the minute.

* * *

"So as you can see Lina, I was sent here to make sure there were no rivals that may prove a nuisance to us. And if I were to find any that would be, well I suppose you could use your own imagination with what would follow," Xelloss explained, still in a Lina style death grip. 

"Yeah that's all well and good but why would you tell that to us?" Lina said.

"Oh? Would you rather me tell you it's a secret then? I would be all to happy to oblige with that," Xelloss told her, "Anyway, enough about me. So what brings you to Tokyo anyway?"

"Oh well Lina said something about getting a letter, with the address to this place or something like that," Gourry said.

"GAH! Why in the hell are you going to tell him that!" Lina yelled, "Gods, the only time you remember is at the time which is most inconvenient!"

"Sorry, Sorry!" Gourry said, putting his hands up in defeat.

"Never mind that NOW, where did that Morgan girl go?" Lina said, frustrated.

"Eh Lina? Xelloss is gone too." Gourry said, calmly

"Oh whatever, come on Gourry. Lets go find an inn to stay in." Lina growled, annoyed.

"But what about Xelloss?"

"Don't worry about him. He'll be back when we least want him."

* * *

"So, is the plan going well?" Zelas asked him, taking a long drag of her cigar. 

"As planned mistress. Lina and the swordsman are already at Tokyo, with the Princess and the Chimera close behind. They should any time now." Xelloss told her, kneeling before her.

"Very well then. Dismissed." Zelas said, waving a hand it the air, to signal that she was done with him and had other business to attend to. The minute he left, Zelas got up. She had a bad feeling about this. Her thoughts circled around the belief that Xelloss might not survive this mission. She shook her head, trying to rid herself of such ridiculous thoughts.

* * *

"Lina? Are you asleep?" Gourry called. They only had one available room, but thankfully, it had two beds. 

"Obviously not," Lina sighed, turning over on her other side, so she could see Gourry.

"You feel like something bad is going to happen too, huh?" Gourry asked.

Surprised, Lina answered, "Yeah, but since when does something life threatening NOT happen to us?"

"You know I'll do anything I can to protect you though right? If anything does happen?" Gourry asked, for once listening to her answer.

"Yeah Gourry. I do. Goodnight Gourry," Lina said, turning back over.

"Goodnight Lina,"

Lina smiled as she drifted off to a peaceful sleep, comforted and ready for anything that might happen tomorrow.

* * *

"I didn't know you could play the guitar," Amelia said from the darkness. 

Startled, Zelgadis looked up to see Amelia. "My big brother taught me," Zel said, smiling at the memory.

"You've never talked about your family before. I mean except for Rezo that is," Amelia said.

"Don't have much to say really," Zel said.

Scolding herself for bringing up Rezo, and putting Zel in his famous angst mood, she quickly replied, "I loved that song though, Mr. Zelgadis. Please play some more."

He sighed, after failing to resist her pleading stare, he turned towards the sunset, sitting on the edge of the ship, and began to play again. She sat down in a seat right next to the edge of the ship, her arms propped up, smiling as she listened to him.

Both lost in their own thoughts, neither of them noticed the morning sky had turned to a blood red, an omen for death.

* * *

"Why do all of these crackpots always have a million stairs to climb?" Lina whined. 

"Come on Lina, it's not THAT bad," Gourry reasoned.

He soon found that it was THAT bad, as it took them a half an hour and few Fireballs (which had been directed to a certain yogurt-brains) to finally reach their destination, the top of Tokyo tower.

* * *

"Mr. Zelgadis! We have to hurry! We're already late!" Amelia yelled, all ready to go in her usual travel attire. 

Grunting, Zelgadis caught up to her, and they both Raywinged it all the way to their destination.

* * *

"Why do people always do this? They send you a letter telling you to come at some God forsaken time in the morning and then don't show up!" Lina yelled at no one in particular. It had been two hours since they finally made it to the top, and still the person in question hadn't shown up. Lina shivered, as the wind blew across her face. It's too cold up here. _Why can't people be more sensible and ask to meet at a beach or something?_ _Or at least the bottom floor_, she thought, sighing as Gourry started panicking about how high up they were. Even she had to admit this was the tallest building she had ever been in her life, which didn't exactly help to ease the poor swordsman. 

"Miss Lina?" Amelia asked, trying to confirm what she was seeing.

"I should have known you two would be here. I'm leaving," Zelgadis said, turning right back around.

"Wait, Mr. Zelgadis, what about the cure?" Amelia asked, trying to stop him.

"Amelia, if they're really was a cure here, they wouldn't have invited Lina and Gourry too or you for that matter. They don't want to give us a cure Amelia. They most likely want to kill us." Zelgadis reasoned.

"Oh."

"Very perceptive of you Zelgadis." Xelloss said, smiling.

"What's Mister Xelloss doing here?" Amelia asked.

"He's here to kill us, aren't you Xelloss?" Lina asked, in a I-should-have-known-tone of voice.

"You mean you knew he was here? In the New World? And you still came?" Zelgadis asked incredulously.

Xelloss, while they weren't paying attention, flicked a ball of dark energy at them, and the tower fell. And with it, Lina and the others went down as well. Gourry, tried to run for Lina, to try to protect her somehow, but in vain. He lost his footing and few seconds later, his face met the earth. He tried to get up, but realizing it was useless, as some debris that had fallen on him was weighing down Gourry's legs. Funny, I didn't feel it Gourry thought. "Lina." Gourry said as his last conscious thought before he met the blissful darkness.

"What's going on?" Lina groaned as she got up, from the rubble. "Gourry!" she yelled. The man in question looked like one giant bruise. Seeing Zel, she called out to him, to help her. Together, but mostly with Zel's help they lifted the debris off him.

"Lina?" Gourry asked, finally regaining consciousness, with relief filling his voice.

"Just lay down here for a minute." Lina cooed, trying to reassure him. Lina saw Amelia who looked relatively unhurt as she too tried to stand. Zelgadis helped her up and together they walked over to Lina and Gourry.

"Zel you're hurt," Lina said, looking at the moderate amount of blood that had soaked his arm red.

"I'll be fine. Could have been worse," Zelgadis told her.

"Since when are you an optimistic per-" Lina teased, before being interrupted by the monster that got them into this mess in the first place.

"Lina. It's no fun if you ignore me like that," Xelloss said, pouting.

Lina stared at him hatefully, for the simple fact that he had hurt Gourry. She knew this day would soon come. It was vocally confirmed to her on the day Xelloss offered her life so that Valgaav would become a Mazoku. If Valgaav had accepted the terms...Still that was no reason to bring the rest of them into this massacre. If he had wanted to kill her, he could have done so without involving all of them. He was just playing with them. Staring at Xelloss, she said just that.

"Why bring the rest of them into this Xelloss? Why not just kill me and be done with it?" Lina asked.

"Well Lina, you already know the answer to that one. It is of course..." Xelloss said, smiling his ever-annoying smile, which held a touch of cruelty, "a secret. But don't worry Lina. I'll save you for last."

"Even if I consider you a friend Xelloss, I can tolerate this no longer. In the name of love and justice, we will crush the evil which has overwhelmed your heart Xelloss, and save you from it!" Amelia shouted, from atop a pillar, striking a justice pose.

"Amelia! For L-sama's sake get down from there!" Lina yelled, horrified as Xelloss turned his attention to Amelia, and materialized in front of her.

"Are you still ranting about that justice thing Amelia?" Xelloss inquired, tilting his head to the side, "Did justice save your mother from death or save you from losing your sister to her fear? Is justice going to save you now?"

"Yes it is," Amelia said defiantly, all happiness sucked out of her voice as she stared at the cold, cruel eyes staring back at her.

"Then there's something you should know princess," Xelloss said, leaning in, to whisper in her ear. "I was the monster that killed your mother. And as they say: like mother like daughter. Goodbye princess," and with his never ceasing smile, he directed an enormous amount of dark energy into Amelia's body. Her screams pierced the sky until she struck the ground, only moments later, dead.

_So still. Amelia never sat still. She was always jumping up, screaming something. What's wrong with that girl? Well any minute, she'll be up again, shouting her justice speeches at Xelloss for being so unfair._ Lina thought sighing. _Amelia? You can get up any time now. Amelia? AMELIA!_ Lina's mind screamed as the harsh reality of truth swarmed around her. Lina stood still for what seemed like hours, which were really only minutes. Had she not just stood there, she might have been able to save another loved one. _Why am I still just standing here! _Lina thought, as she stared into the souless eyes of the one she used to think of as a little sister.

"Amelia!" Zelgadis shouted, horrified. Forgetting the pain, he charged forward towards Xelloss blindly, with one goal in mind. To not only kill Xelloss, but to make him pay.

"Zel! Don't be stupid!" Lina said, pulling herself out of her reverie.

Not hearing her, not listening as Gourry joined in, both screaming cries of protest, he lunged at Xelloss in vain. Xelloss, summoning his staff to his hand, and shoved it into Zelgadis' stomach. Bile mixed with blood gushed out of Zelgadis' mouth, leaving him gasping for air. Shocked, he looked up in the eyes of Amelia's murderer, finding none of the secretiveness that had been in them on journeys before this one. His eyes held no secrets; they were the eyes of a monster. That was all. Zelgadis mouthed 'murderer' with as much hatred as he could muster trying to look at him defiantly but pain instead overtook his features.

"Why Zelgadis, I surprised at you. I thought you already knew that I was a murderer," Xelloss said mockingly, "That was no secret."

While Xelloss was busy chanting more dark energy into his hands to kill Zel with, Zelgadis thought up a plan, he had already lost too much blood. He knew that if he was going to do something he had to do it fast. Settling on a spell, he began chanting quietly.

"Well it's been fun. Goodbye Zelgadis." Xelloss said, hand motioning to the effect that he was going to do the same thing to Zelgadis, what he did to Amelia.

"RA TILT!" Zelgadis shouted, his hands holding onto the staff, which Xelloss had jutted, into him. Grunting against the pain, he kept the spell going for five seconds before stopping, and fell to the ground. "Amelia," Zelgadis whispered smiling, as he sees her up ahead. Running after her he hears the last of Xelloss screams die out and fade into the darkness behind him.

"AHHHH!" Xelloss screamed, as the Ra Tilt surged throughout his body. Luckily for him, Zelgadis had been at the brink of death.

"You're going to pay for that you little," Xelloss said, after recovering from Zelgadis' latest blow. "Damn, he's already dead," he whined.

He smiled over at Lina, who was shocked with disbelief. "I'm truly sorry I have to do this Lina-chan. Should have joined us while you had the chance. Ta," he said, giving a parting wave, as he summoned the spell he used to kill Amelia with his other hand.

Lina had no chance to react as she turned to see the spell directed to her. She closed her eyes, waiting for her death. Instead, she was pushed aside.

"Gourry!" Lina shouted in despair as Gourry caught the blast instead. "Gourry!"

"I'm okay Lina," Gourry said, trying to reassure her.

Lina's eyes flashed with anger, as she looked up towards her enemy, who was just smiling at the display, drinking up all the negative emotions. She took one last glance at Gourry, who was breathing heavily, but thankfully still alive, due to the fact that he hadn't caught the entire blast.

"XELLOSS!" Lina yelled. Running up to him, she finished the spell that would end Xelloss life. "RAGNA BLADE!" With Xelloss' own talismans, she destroyed the most powerful of all the General Priests out of pure hatred.

Xelloss wasn't going to appear and start to annoy her. Amelia wasn't going to barge in, and start shouting a justice speech, and Zelgadis wasn't going to come in all gloomy, and sullen and forlorn, moaning and grumbling about how people were staring at him all the time. Never ever again. And as the harsh reality swung about her once again, she blissfully met darkness as she fell unconscious on the ground, smiling as she saw right before she went to sleep, a rush of blond running toward her.

* * *

"Ugh, where are we?" Lina said holding her head, trying to remember what had been going on. 

"Lina! You're awake!" Gourry said, pulling her into a bone crushing hug, smiling.

"Gourry...need...to...breathe..." Lina gasped, as Gourry took her by surprise.

"Eh...Sorry. Just worried," Gourry explained.

Then, Lina attacked him with a hug too. "You're alive!"

"Yeah. It was either because, Xelloss wasn't really trying 'cause he wanted to play with us a little longer, or the fact that I only got part of the blast," Gourry said, smiling at the small girl that he was embracing.

"What? Why are you staring?" Lina asked, eyes narrowing.

"You're hair. It's..." Gourry began, only to get pushed over as Lina ran to a spring nearby. He smiled after her, happy to have found an excuse so as not to reveal the real reason he had been staring at her.

"I think it looks nice..." Gourry commented. Her hair, still the same reddish-orange color it had been before, except now it was containedstreaks of gold, chaos.

"Gourry, you're hurt," Lina said as she looked at Gourry's cuts and bruises that covered his body.

"Oh they're not as bad as they look, I promise. You're the one who should be worried. You look awful," Gourry said truthfully.

"Thanks alot," Lina said, annoyed. Her face changed suddenly to one of sadness, however."They're really gone aren't they?" Lina said sadly, a small tear passing down her porcelain face, down to her lips. Seconds later, she was bawling in Gourry's arms. Gourry was too sad to be shocked that Lina Inverse, the strongest woman in the world, was crying.Gourry, held her, and joined in with her once and awhile when he remembered some of the adventures with them.And how much everything was going to be different now. He wasn't a smart man by any means, but he remembered the important stuff. Amelia and Zelgadis were his friends, and Xelloss killed them. Another person he had considered a friend. But no longer. Anyone that would make Lina cry was no friend of his.

"Where are we anyway? We're definitely not in Tokyo," Lina, asked, regaining some composureas she began to look around.

"Well Miss Inverse, you have been chosen for the Judgment Gate," Morgan replied, appearing in front of them. No longer was she the woman they met before, she had dark bluish-gray hair and light bluish-gray skin, her body covered with vine-like tattoos. He hair sat down to her waist which was slightly more curly then before, a few strands forming upwards on both side's of her head, in a pixie style sort of way. The vines-like tattoos wrapped around her arms, up to her shoulders, and made a curve, underlining her breasts and continued down the rest of her body. She also had yellow wings outlined the same color as her hair, just below her shoulder blades. It would have been impossible to know it was her, if it had not been for her voice, and her unmistakably sad, green eyes.

"Excuse me, but who are you again?" Gourry asked, looking up at her.

"Gah! Jellyfish brains!" Lina yelled, before halting in her attack. She took in the fact that Morgan looked so completely different, "Well I guess I can't blame you. She's that storyteller Morgan we met at Tokyo, remember?"

"Not really," Gourry said, scratching his head in a confused but cute sort of way.

Letting it pass, Lina turned to Morgan, "So what exactly are you?"

"So it's true what they say about you. You get right to the point," Morgan said, smiling for what seemed the first time since she had met them. However, the smile did not reach her eyes.

"Well I just don't see the point in not finding something out right away, when you're going to have to later. Life's too short to wait around," Lina said, then added sadly, "Long for the people that don't deserve it, and short for the people that do."

"Well if you must know, I am a fairy princess. In any case, Miss Inverse, Mr. Gabriev, you wanted to know where you are, so please follow me." Morgan said. She jumped up of the air and started to fly up the hill not waiting to see if they were following her. She knew they would of course.

"Hey! Wait Up! Oh for the love of...Gourry, COME ON! RAYWING!" Lina shouted, lifting herself off the ground. Grabbing Gourry with her, they made haste to follow the blur of green, which was the fairy.

"LINA? Why do we have to go so fast!" Gourry asked, looking back at the ground rushing past them with fear.

"Jeez Gourry, don't be such a baby,"

"Easy for you to say. If we had to walk through a valley of slugs you would be...AH!" Gourry shouted, as Lina dropped him.

Catching him again, she snickered briefly, before taking it into an insane laugh. The laugh held everything she had been holding in since this ordeal started.

"Oof!" Lina grunted as she slammed face first into the fairy, who had stopped abruptly, staring at the thing in front of them. "Hey! What's the big idea!"

"The story I told you was no fairy tale, Miss Inverse. Fairy Tales have happy endings. This is the Judgment Gate," Morgan told them, looking at it with both fear and awe of it's great stature.

"The J-Judgment Gate?" Lina cried, looking at it.

It was an imposing figure, looking perfectly natural but it didn't. Was perfectly natural but at the same time, wasn't. It looked old, like it had survived centuries, but it was also new, since that was the way it had always looked. Two pillars standing side by side with a jagged top. It was similar to Morgan's skin as if it was bonded to her. This thing in front of them had torn apart so many lovers in the past. Lina Inverse has been scared many times in her life although she will probably never admit that. But never before has anything scared her as much, as the idea of loosing Gourry for all eternity. She already almost lost him twice; once to Phibrizzo and the other to the Lord of Nightmares in the Sea of Chaos. Lina didn't stand there questioning the reality of them being lovers. If being lovers meantthat the couple werehaving sexual intercourse then no. Lina and Gourry weren't "lovers" in that sense, not yet. However, if being lovers holds a deeper value of caring and commitment to the other person, then yes, Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev were "lovers".

"I came here a long time ago, with the person I loved. I didn't make it through. I didn't have enough confidence in myself or in the love we shared," Morgan told them sadly.

"IS THAT SUPPOSED TO REASSURE US?" Lina asked, incredulously.

"Ten years ago, a boy named Keiichi Morisato, and a Goddess named Belldandy, came here to this very spot. They were able to make it through to the other side. Since that day, I swore to watch over this gate until other lovers came. To tell them to have faith because Keiichi and Belldandy did," Morgan told them, smiling at the memory.

"I thought you said no one had made it through?" Lina said, remembering the first time, Morgan told her the tale of the Judgment Gate.

"Well that was just for dramatic effect. They were only kids after all. I needed a way for them to listen to my tale. They weren't going listen if it consisted of "mushy" stuff, as you humans put it." Morgan said, leaving Lina to sweatdrop at her reply.

"But why us? We're both human," Lina asked.

"Actually you're not. First, you have had the Lord of Nightmares take control of your body. Do you really believe there weren't side effects? But truthfully that answer doesn't matter. Mr. Gabriev here is part elf," Morgan replied in a how-could-you-have-not-known-that tone of voice.

"Since when?" Lina asked Gourry.

"About as long as I can remember. Which isn't very far," Gourry commented, truthfully.

"And when were you going to tell me?" Lina accused.

"Well I didn't really see it as important. Did it matter?" Gourry asked, confused.

"Gourry! There are hardly any elves left! Your kind is becoming extinct by the minute. You're on the endangered species list, and you're asking me if it's important?" she yelled.

"Endangered species? There are about a five hundred of us in Elmikia and I think there are more elsewhere on Mipross Island. But we don't really talk about what we are very much. It doesn't really matter," he said, trying to explain, although he didn't fully understand himself.

"Five hundred?" Lina asked, almost fainting from the news.

"Ahem," Morgan said, trying to drive the attention back to the relevant subject here.

"What happens if we don't go?" Lina commented, trying to appear cool and aloof, deceiving herself as she always did.

"You don't get to leave."

"Fine then! We'll stay. It looks cozy enough." Lina said, while looking at the surroundings. It was a truly beautiful place. Meadows of all the prettiest flowers, mountains, trees, and waterfalls filled this...paradise...this utopia. Well it would have been utopia had it not been missing one key ingredient.

"There might be water, but there's no food."

"Eh?" Lina and Gourry asked incredulously. "NO FOOD!" They both ran down to the Judgment Gate and stopped directly in front of it.

"You ready Lina?" Gourry asked, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"No. Not really. But we'll pass, you'll see." Lina said, giving him a smile.

"Please! Remember! If there is doubt in your hearts, you won't make it. Please don't make the same mistake I did." Morgan yelled after them.

"Well if we don't make it...I'm going to find you Lina...No matter what anybody says. I'll find you."

"Gourry..."

"Come on Lina. We're a team. We'll make it." Gourry assured her.

Giving his hand a squeeze back to tell him that she was ready they both stepped towards the Judgement Gate, which would either rip them apart, or allow them to be together. Gourry stepped forward another step, but instead of walking together, Lina pulled him back shaking her head.

"No Gourry. I'm sorry, but I can't risk it. I have already lost Amelia and Zelgadis. I-I can't risk being left alone!" Lina cried out, shaking her head furiously. The Gods knew she hated to cry, especially in front of people. Whether it is people she knew who saw her crying, people she loved, or even people she didn't even know, she hated doing it. So, it's just like the Gods to make her cry now by making her have to face losing all of her friends forever.

"Lina, trust me," Gourry said kindly. He tilted her head up and suddenly ruby eyes were locked with blue ones. Leaning in closer, Gourry paused to make sure what he was about to do was OK.

"For cryin' out loud," Lina muttered, closing the distance. It was a brief, but sweet kiss all the same. With that that they nodded to each other and yet again walked up to the Judgment Gate, not faltering this time. They walked through and...

* * *

...bright green fire surrounded them. Lina reached her free hand to touch them, her eyes, enraptured by their dance. It surrounded her, trying to enclose her in it's warm, comforting embrace. She realized almost too late what its true goal was. 

"Lina, hang on!" Gourry yelled repetitively, as Lina's hand slowly slipped away from his. He could not lose her, not now, after all this. It felt like he had been walking through a dense white cloud, trying to stop them from reaching the other side safely. Gourry looked over at Lina to make sure she was still there, and was startled to see the way her eyes looked. She had a blank mesmerized look, s simple smile played itself on her lips. Swallowing his despair, he turned away from her, and toward their goal, where he could keep her safe. He was taken by surprise when Lina's hand started slipping away from his grip. He turned back at her, only to find that the fog covered her from his view.

Gourry! Lina thought, shaking herself from her trance. Gripping Gourry's hand tighter, she smiled up at him, and the emerald fire receded. Stepping through Lina and Gourry finally made it to the other side at last.

* * *

Gourry turned again, smiling with relief to find Lina holding his hand. A bright white light flashed around them, when it faded, if it was possible the area around looked more beautiful then ever before. 

"Gourry?" Lina asked, keeping her eyes closed, in case she might not want to open them again.

"Yeah Lina." Gourry said wiping away tears of relief.

Smiling, Lina jumped into Gourry's arms, and as they held each other,two figures stepped toward them.

"Amelia! Zelgadis!" Lina and Gourry exclaimed happy to see their friends.

"Interesting hair Lina." Zelgadis said, quirking his eyebrows in question as to how it happened. Both Amelia and Zelgadis were slightly transparent, outlined in a bright glow, both smiling and happy to see their friends.

"Yeah I love it Miss Lina!" Amelia exclaimed, smiling brightly.

"You guys die, and when you come back you start talking about my HAIR! You guys are impossible!" Lina cried, smiling through her tears.

"Well we just came back, to rub it in that we made it through the Judgment Gate before you." Zelgadis said, smirking.

"Hey, you're human again!" Lina said finally noticing.

"Kind of slow on the uptake, eh Lina? Old age making you forget?" Zelgadis teased.

"We have to go Miss Lina," Amelia continued, sadly, "Thanks for everything Mr. Gourry, Ms Lina."

"Bye!" Zelgadis and Amelia said, waving. Together they turned around and walked away, slowly disappearing as they went.

For a few more minutes, Gourry stood there holding a smiling Lina, both happy that their friends were together, wherever they were now.

"It's time for you to go. I wish you both happiness," Morgan said, her smile finally reaching her eyes. Slowly Lina and Gourry disappeared, back to their own world, leaving Morgan to watch over the Judgment Gate for the next lovers that came to testtheir commitment.

* * *

That was two years ago. Now Lina and Gourry stand, smiling side by side. Lina and Gourry would be expecting their baby any moment now. They still traveled some, but had stopped, at least until the baby came. They had a house that they used as a sort of checkpoint when they were in the neighborhood. A single tear fell down Lina's cheek as she watched Gourry kneel down to put the bouquet of daises on each of their graves. Brushing himself off he mumbled something inaudible and started to walk away to give Lina her privacy. 

"Goodbye guys. I hope you're happy, wherever you are," Lina whispered, and followed Gourry out of the cemetery. Glancing back she smiled at the name on the tombstone and together they went into the coach towards the palace, as special guests of Phil.

A slight wind blew across the graves, as Amelia and Zelgadis smiled at the inseparable pair and too disappeared after Amelia glanced at their tombstone. It read: Amelia Greywords Princess of Seyrunn. Loving daughter devoted friend, just as Zel's tombstone did.

* * *

FIN 

Author's Notes:

Big thanks for my encourager and betareader (are those even words Oo) for this peice, Filing Sloth.

As for Xelloss' comment, please know that this is fanfiction. I know that an assassin killed Amelia's mother.

Please reivew!


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